The idea of changing the architecture of a processor at run-time to suit an application has been around for a long time.  However, bringing adaptive (aka configurable) computing into the mainstream has been frustratingly difficult. This is unfortunate now that designers of high-performance embedded systems are searching for alternatives to ASIC’s (Application Specific IC’s), which are too inflexible and require high volumes, and processors like DSP’s, which cost too much and use too much power. Carl Eberling will first cover the history of configurable computing and describe some of the different research directions that have been taken. Ebeling will then present the research at the University of Washington to blend FPGA technology with processor architectures as an alternative to ASIC’s for high-performance, low-power computing for embedded applications. From the Series:CSE Colloquia - 2002